Steelers 2024 Offseason Thread

[Morkle]

It's time.....to

1A) Hire an OC that's equipped to coach today's game
1B) Continue searching for a franchise QB while Mason starts the next few years
2) Continue to address the MLB situation
3) Continue to address the OL situation (Cole should be gone today)

4) Does Tomlin sign a new extension?

[dodint]

Tomlin takes his sabbatical and the whole coaching staff gets turned over.

*edit*

This is a reference to:

Jay Glazer reports that Tomlin could take a break, ala Sean Payton.

[Morkle]

Just wanted to put this here - because it's not a feeling. The Steelers are stuck in 1940s football.

[FistOfCaufield]

Personally Id try to sign Mason but not break the bank on him.

I'd rather see Pickett next year with a modern offensive system. The guy won some games with Matt Fing Canada holding the offense down. 4th qtr pickett should be 4 quarters pickett like he was in his one full game minus Canada.

If Mason signs a deal, let them compete.. but if he's too expensive, use the money elsewhere on any of the other positions of need. A competent center will do wonders for the running and passing game.

Stepping up in the pocket is nearly impossible with Mason Cole... Tom Brady would have retired 5 years earlier if he played one season with Cole as his center because pressure up the middle was his kryptonite.

Bring a coordinator or candidate in who understands modern football, and I think youll see a much different offense. This season was simply a stale old basic offensive system. The running game finally got traction when they started running quick hitting run plays up the middle with Najee and stopped trying to make the slow guy run outside zones.

[skullman80]

You need a #1 QB in this league to win..period.

Jury is out on Kenny. You know that Mason is not a #1, and Mitch sucks. If you bring in an actual offensive coordinator and have him scheme to kenny's strengths...you might be able to have him as your #1, but that is a huge question mark.

The defense can win games on their own, but needs to be more consistent (and less injured).

They really need to hit a home run on whoever they hire as an offensive coordinator...regardless of who is in the QB room.

[willeyeam]

Stepping up in the pocket is nearly impossible with Mason Cole... Tom Brady would have retired 5 years earlier if he played one season with Cole as his center because pressure up the middle was his kryptonite.

Bring a coordinator or candidate in who understands modern football, and I think youll see a much different offense. This season was simply a stale old basic offensive system. The running game finally got traction when they started running quick hitting run plays up the middle with Najee and stopped trying to make the slow guy run outside zones.

Offseason priorities #1 and #2 right here

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I think it's more likely that Mason won't be back next year. The Steelers are currently over the cap by around $6M. They only save around $3M by cutting Mitch, so I have a bad feeling that he'll be back. That probably doesn't leave enough money to bring back Mason because a team will be willing to pay him the same amount, if not more than what Mitch is getting.

[dodint]

Mason is a serviceable QB2 but any talk of him starting is just flushing away another season.

[willeyeam]

probably more fitting for the offseason thread

The rd1 pick should be corner back, and ILB, S, and C should be fully addressed by that point. Then you can look at things like DEs, NT, and WR with the mid round picks.

there just aren't really MLBs that go early anymore. If there's a unicorn, I'm in for it. But give me OL and CB imo. C would be nice, maybe you can sign one, an LT would be good

[Troy Loney]

I think it's more likely that Mason won't be back next year. The Steelers are currently over the cap by around $6M. They only save around $3M by cutting Mitch, so I have a bad feeling that he'll be back. That probably doesn't leave enough money to bring back Mason because a team will be willing to pay him the same amount, if not more than what Mitch is getting.

Yeah, but cutting Cole, Mitch, Robinson, Chucks, Kazee and trading Johnson would clear like 40mm in cap space. And that's before they manage the over 60mm in space that Cam, Minkah, and Watt are taking up.

[DigitalGypsy66]

Down the list on things that have to change is the punter. Harvin, sadly, is one of Tomlin's pets and is probably safe. But his inconsistency is maddening.

[Dickie Dunn]

To me it's a majoring in the minors kind of thing, but Harvin is an excellent holder and that seems to be a large part of the motivation to keep him around because there's a near limitless number of better punters out there.

[Pavel Bure]

To me it's a majoring in the minors kind of thing, but Harvin is an excellent holder and that seems to be a large part of the motivation to keep him around because there's a near limitless number of better punters out there.

Pretty sure there’s other holders out there that are just as good (not to mention other players that could do it if needed) He’s really bad at his main job.

[Morkle]

I think it's more likely that Mason won't be back next year. The Steelers are currently over the cap by around $6M. They only save around $3M by cutting Mitch, so I have a bad feeling that he'll be back. That probably doesn't leave enough money to bring back Mason because a team will be willing to pay him the same amount, if not more than what Mitch is getting.

Spending to the cap without a franchise QB taking up most of it is also bad business, imo. This team isn't a QB away from a super bowl, and they don't have a franchise QB on a rookie contract worth spending to the max until you need to do his deal.

[Morkle]

To me it's a majoring in the minors kind of thing, but Harvin is an excellent holder and that seems to be a large part of the motivation to keep him around because there's a near limitless number of better punters out there.

My problem is that they'd cut Harvin and just bring in Wing, who isn't great either. It's a weird thing, but ever since Miller, they haven't really ever had a solid player at that position.

[willeyeam]

I think it's more likely that Mason won't be back next year. The Steelers are currently over the cap by around $6M. They only save around $3M by cutting Mitch, so I have a bad feeling that he'll be back. That probably doesn't leave enough money to bring back Mason because a team will be willing to pay him the same amount, if not more than what Mitch is getting.

Spending to the cap without a franchise QB taking up most of it is also bad business, imo. This team isn't a QB away from a super bowl, and they don't have a franchise QB on a rookie contract worth spending to the max until you need to do his deal.

tell that to SF

[Morkle]

Read the second half - they have a franchise QB on a rookie check, so it makes sense to spend elsewhere until you have to pay Brock.

[meow]

You need a #1 QB in this league to win..period.

I agree with this. There are…what…at least a dozen teams that don’t have a QB1. Maybe 15 teams

[Morkle]

I think, if they're gonna run with Kenny - I really am kind of on the spend a low-round pick and get Justin Fields. Compared to Trubisky, I am really curious how he'd do in a new system, new team, etc.

Also I think the QB situation gets decided by the OC hire.

[King Colby]

OC and O Line. Ditch the kindergarten offense. Give whoever is QB more time. Capitalize on two pretty solid rushers.

They went 10-7 with God awful quarterback play and insurmountable injuries on defense. They should improve on that with a better line and better coach even with the three zeroes they currently have at QB.

[Trip McNeely]

You need to build a team around a Qb before drafting a QB. Let KP run it back, try to sign Mason as QB2 at a price less than Mitch.

Draft and/or sign RT, C, cornerback, and ILB. Maybe make a splash and grab a stud Dlineman like Christian Wilkins and cut Ogunjobi

If QB play stinks, you go all out drafting one in 2025 and that QB will be surrounded by a team with pedigree

[The U]

I’m not typically a severe Tomlin basher but he deserved it this year. The team made the playoffs in spite of him.

Went into the season with Canada, knowing full well he was awful.

Took too long to fire him mid-season. (This all stunted Pickett’s growth IMO. We are still left wondering how much was his fault and how much was the OC).

Started the wrong RB for almost the entire season.

OL configuration was off. Jones could have started somewhere on the line from week 1 but didn’t.

Joey Porter Jr could have started from week 1 but didn’t.

Dan Moore/Chuks playing time was mishandled.

He has kept P Harvin for 1-2 years too long.

We had Brian Flores in-house and let him leave so we could keep Teryl Austin as the DC. Dumb. Another internal hire that has been allowed to drag too long (like many of our recent OC and DC).

After almost every loss Tomlin blamed the defense. “We must couldn’t get that final stop”. But your offense only scored 13 points… He routinely dismissed the offensive side of the ball like it’s meaningless. Like it’s the equivalent of a 4th line in hockey. They’re just out there to kill some time for the defense. No killer instinct or desire to score early and often. We have been out score 66-0 in the first quarter of our past 4 playoff games? We have lost 5 playoff games in a row? No playoff wins in 7+ years? Belichick gets fired and people are like “yeah I get it”. Just mentioning Tomlin is on the hot seat and the sports media comes to his defense like Steeler fans are insane. I don’t get it.

I could go on. I’m OK if he leaves. I’m OK if he stays…but he needs to hire a great OC and allow this team to score points and not play so conservatively. It’s an offensive league now. Can’t rely on sack fumbles and pick 6’s to provide you with the bulk of your offense.

[Freddy Rumsen]

I don't get what people see in Justin Fields. The man is 10-28 as a starter.

[dodint]

Hate the coach? Blame the QB. Like the QB? Blame the coach. If only Kenny, I mean, Justin, had a chance...

[Dickie Dunn]

Justin Fields is **** terrible and this narrative of him being some kind of attractive offseason trade option for any team is just weird.